Tara and Immortality
by Mist of Rainbows
Summary: Awake and mysteriously alive, Tara finds herself the student of the Highlander.
1. Chapter 1

Tara McClay woke with a start, the last thing she remembered was being shot. She hesitantly put her hand to her chest. She frowned as her fingers encountered a sheet that was draped over her body. She moved her hand under the sheet to check where she remembered being shot. Her hand glided along smooth skin. "It must have been a dream."

Tara heard a male sigh, "I'm afraid not lass."

Tara glanced over at a middle aged looking man sitting in a chair fiddling with a sword. "What do you mean? It had to be a dream."

"Well you were quite dead when you fell out of a light show onto my dojo floor a few minutes ago. One second I was alone and practicing with my sword and the next a naked girl was sprawled on the floor."

"I can't be dead. There must be some mistake."

"So I'm guessing this is the first time that you've died and came back from the dead?"

Tara hesitantly sat up. She held the sheet tightly to cover herself as she looked around the martial arts dojo. "So I really died?"

He nodded, "You're taking it better than some people I've known."

"I've seen stranger things, besides not much I can do about it is there?"

"Other than cut off your head? Not Really."

"So you some type of warlock?"

He chuckled, "Not the last time I checked."

"Then how am I alive? Where is Willow?"

"You're alive because you're an immortal and I don't know anyone named Willow."

Tara blinked, "What do you mean I'm immortal?"

"I mean unless someone cuts your head off you can't die. You will come back from any injury, heal any wounds you suffer and return to the land of the living."

"I'm a vampire?" Tara quickly checked her pulse. "That can't be right I have a heart beat."

He shook his head, "No such things as vampires. You're an immortal."

"How do you know?"

"You know that buzzing noise in your head when you first woke up? That's how I know. I'm an immortal, I'm Duncan MacCloud of the clan MacCloud, I was born four hundred years ago in the highlands of Scotland." He pulled out a small letter opener and stabbed himself in the hand.

Tara watched in fascination as the wound closed and vanished a few seconds later.

He grimaced, "I would suggest trying it but it hurts."

"You sure you aren't a demon of some type?"

He chuckled, "Pretty sure."

"So provided that I believe you, what makes us this way?"

"Fate, chance, divine decree, accident of birth, you name it we have a theory."

"It sounds too good to be true."

Duncan sighed, "There is a downside."

"What's that?"

"Other than watching your friends grow old and die, you can never have children. There is also the "game" to worry about."

"Children weren't really in the cards for me anyways. What game?"

"Most immortals believe that in the end there can only be one immortal left standing. So they tend to travel around dueling other immortals for their heads, as losing your head is the only way for us to truly die."

Tara's face blanched. "That's horrible. You aren't going to kill me are you?"

"Not planning on it. I'm content to live my life and deal with challengers as they come."

She sighed in relief. "I guess that's something."

"Have you ever used a sword before?"

"Not seriously no."

"I guess we can start working on that tomorrow."

Tara glanced around for a phone. "I should call Willow and let her know I'm alright."

He shook his head, "Your friends wouldn't understand. You died, you can't go back."

Tara sighed, "I guess you're right I can't just call them up after being dead." Her thoughts raced, 'I'll just have to call Willow in the morning and explain what happened.'

Duncan tossed Tara a bag of clothes. "There are some sweats and such that might work for now. We can go shopping in the morning for clothes that might fit you better." His thoughts were troubled as he left the room. 'Why does all of this happen to me."


	2. Whiskey for the Dead

Tara fished the large grey sweats out of the bag of clothes. She winced at the faded grey color before she brought them to her nose and sniffed them. "At least they're clean." She looked around in the bag for suitable underwear before giving up with a sigh and sliding the sweats on commando style. She frowned at the large blue shirt she pulled out of the bag. "Ah well." She slipped the shirt on and glanced around for a phone. 'Maybe I'll just make a little call tonight. I'm too freaked out to sleep anyways.' She spotted it sitting on a stand near the door. She glanced around at the dojo before quickly walking over to pick up the phone.

She listened carefully for any sign of MacCloud's coming back as she punched Buffy's number into the phone. She waited anxiously as a cold recorded female voice said, "I'm sorry that number is not in service anymore." She frowned as she dialed Willow's cell phone. She sighed in relief as it rang. "Dominic's Pizza, how can I take your order." She frowned as she glanced at the phone. "Sorry, wrong number." She pressed the zero key and waited for the operator. "I, I seem to be having difficulties reaching a friend of mine."

The nasal voice of the operator came through the phone, "What state, which city and who are you trying to reach?"

"I'm trying to reach Willow Rosenberg or Buffy Summers in Sunnydale California." Tara could faintly hear the sounds of typing as the lady on the other end typed in the required information in her computer. "I'm sorry there is no Sunnydale California. Perhaps you got the name wrong?" Tara blinked as she let the phone fall out of her weary hand, it clattered as it landed on the receiver. "It doesn't exist, they aren't there… Does this mean I'm in a different world?" Tara slumped down against the wall with a look of defeat on her face.

Duncan frowned from his hidden spot behind the door. He felt slightly guilty about eavesdropping but he didn't want to risk this whole thing being some type of trick. He was a little confused about how a town couldn't exist. His thoughts, 'Maybe I should ask Joe if he knows of any immortals that fit her description.'

Duncan had just finished finishing dinner when a tear stained Tara came through the connecting door. Tara glanced around at the kitchen, "Can I borrow the couch, I don't feel so well right now and think a good night sleep would be good."

He nodded, "You might want to eat something but I guess it will be alright as leftovers in the morning. Go ahead and take the second bedroom there are clean sheets on it already."

Tara nodded her thanks and slipped into the back room. She vaguely heard the front door open as MacCloud slipped out shortly before she drifted off.

A few minutes later Duncan found himself in front of Joe's bar. With a sigh Duncan walked in.

Joe glanced up as he noticed Duncan standing in the entry way. "You look like someone walked over your grave, that is if you had one."

"I've several, but that isn't the point. I found something weird enough that I can't explain it. I was hoping you knew where Adam was. He isn't answering his cell phone."

"I saw him a hours ago, he mentioned he had seen someone he recognized earlier and wanted to deal with it before it became a problem. So what has you all twisted up?"

"I got a new student today."

Joe blinked at Duncan. "What?"

"She fell out of the air dead as dead but within a few seconds she woke up."

"She fall off a building?"

"Don't think I'm crazy Joe, but she fell out of a shimmering field of light in the air in my dojo."

"She what?"

"Yeah, I can't explain how the hell that's possible. In my four hundred years I've never seen anything like it. That's why I wanted to talk to the old man."

Joe's phone rang. He reached over and answered it. "Joe Dawson speaking." He listened to the phone for a few seconds before his face went white as a sheet. "Alright, are you sure?" Joe listened for a minute. He forced his voice to be steady, "Write up the report." Joe closed the phone. "Adam's dead, they found his coat and body in an alley in the north side of town."

MacCloud blinked a few times, "Are they sure it was him?"

"His quickening took out a city block Mac, all that was recoverable was Adam's tattered coat, wallet and car keys. So yeah I think it's a safe bet that it was him." Joe fumbled with the desk drawer. He pulled out a large bottle of whisky. "To the best and worst of you lot and to the oldest." He took a long swig on the bottle before passing it to MacCloud.

Duncan took a long swig of the whiskey before glaring at Joe, "Who did it?"

Joe sighed, "It was a guy named Akakios, he had been presumed killed ages ago. He was from ancient Greece, not much of a head hunter recently but there were numerous kills credited to his name around a thousand years ago Mac."

"Where can I find him?"

"I can't tell you that Mac."

Duncan glared, "Can't or won't?"

Joe took another long swig of the whiskey, "Can't, he is very good at staying off the radar."

Duncan glared, "I'm going to cut off his head when I find him." Duncan stalked out.

Joe sighed and winced as he tried to twist his legs too fast. Joe muttered, "He killed Methos, what do you think you can do to him?"

MacCloud knew he was getting closer as he could see the flashing lights of a dozen police and fire trucks. His heart sank as he got a good look at the destroyed city block. "There can be only one, I just thought you would be around for it old man."


	3. Shopping

Duncan groaned as he opened his eyes. He winced at the light in the room. He smelled the freshly brewed pot of coffee. "I guess I have to get up at some point."

Tara glanced up from reading the morning paper as a grumbling Duncan walked in. "There's coffee on the counter."

Duncan walked over to the counter and poured himself a cup of black coffee. He winced as he glanced down at the front-page article about the destroyed city block.

Tara nodded, "It's horrible, they said they found a headless body near the epicenter of the destruction."

Duncan winced, "That's what happens when immortals die. It's called the quickening. One immortal takes another immortals power and knowledge."

Tara looked rather green at the thought of killing a person for their knowledge and power.

"Did you know the guy that died?"

"Yeah, he was a, he was a friend." Duncan sighed. He glanced at Tara in the large baggy sweats and t-shirt. "I think we should get you some other clothes though. Plus we need to get started on training so that you have a shot in hell of not dieing when another immortal comes for your head."

Tara winced, "I don't want to fight other immortals, is there a way out of it?"

"Not really, you could hide on holy ground but even that isn't always as safe as it could be."

Tara nodded, "I guess learning to fight isn't a bad idea…"

Duncan sighed as he grabbed his keys from the table, "I'm guessing this is going to hurt the pocket book. Come on then."

Duncan sat on the bench outside the store, glad to get away from the whirlwind of an annoying sales clerk that kept suggesting outfits for him rather than Tara. He groaned again when his cell phone rang. He sighed as he answered his ringing cell phone. "MacCloud here."

Joe's voice drifted out of the cell phone. "I looked through the data base and didn't find any immortals in the area with your new friend's description. I also didn't find any records of anything similar to your young ladies arrival."

"Thanks for looking. I couldn't find any sign of Akakios either. I'll keep an eye out though."

"Be safe MacCloud."

"I will." Duncan shut his phone before walking back into the store to face the damage to his pocket book.

Tara frowned at the black jeans and tight black shirt the clerk was trying to get her to go with.

The clerk smiled at her, "You totally need something other than the frumpy clothes you insisted on."

Tara frowned as she lifted up a plain blue dress from her pile. "What's wrong with this one?"

The guy shook his head with disdain, "Doesn't show off your figure very well, now does it?"

Duncan stepped up, "Not interrupting anything am I?"

The clerk smiled up at MacCloud, "Oh not at all, I was just telling the lady here that she would look lovely in a nice black number."

Duncan frowned, "Tara you about ready to go?"

Tara nodded frantically while the clerk's attention was on MacCloud.

"Please be so kind as to ring up the clothes for the young lady."

The clerk smiled and carefully folded the clothes in the pile before heading of to the register.

Tara watched the guy leave. "Sorry about so many clothes he doesn't understand the word no very well."

Duncan inclined his head, "It's fine, though next time I think we might try some place else."

Tara chuckled lightly. "I think so."

A few short hours later found Tara with a sword in her hand practicing various moves as Duncan walked around critiquing her technique.

Tara sighed and corrected her grip on the hilt of a German rapier. She hadn't been sure about the sword but it had looked to be the lightest of the swords Duncan had offered her. After swinging it around for the last thirty minutes she was very glad she hadn't picked any of the heavier blades, because her arm hurt and felt like it was going to fall off.

Tara sighed as she lost the blade because her hand cramped as she was making a vigorous trust with the sword. Duncan stepped in and touched the sword blade to her throat. "Dead" He stepped back and watched as Tara massaged her tired hand.

Tara scowled, "Can we stop for today my hand feels like it's going to fall off."

"Well another immortal isn't going to stop just because your hand gets tired."

"I know that but that doesn't change the fact that my hands are tired."

"Fine rest a minute and tell me about where you're from."

"Recently, Sunnydale California. I was a student there."

"What did you study?"

"Little bit of this and a little bit of that."

"You ready to continue?"

Tara sighed and raised her blade back into attack position, "I guess."

"Maybe in a few weeks we can practice sparing with wooden replicas. After that we'll see."

Tara sighed, "Oh joy."


	4. Eye Candy

Tara frowned as she glanced around the quaint little coffee shop she found herself in. She wasn't quite sure what she was doing here other than taking a break from the nearly constant practice drills of the last several months. She was beginning to suspect that Adam's death had hit Duncan particularly hard. The fact that there was no word on the location of the immortal that took his friend's life caused him to press her to learn at a frantic pace to combat the helpless feelings he was suffering from. She was glad of the teaching and the support as she hadn't been feeling the best at finding herself cut off from her friends.

She shook herself from her melancholy thoughts as she watched the cute waitress's behind. She couldn't help comparing her to Willow. The girl looked a bit younger maybe early college or late high school years. She had light brown hair that reached down to her shoulders rather than Willow's red. The waitress turned around and tossed her a smile. Tara blushed slightly as she found herself starring at the girl's chest and the nipples that were slightly tenting the shirt. Tara quickly pulled her eyes over to the nameplate before wrenching them up to look at the girls green eyes.

Claire smiled at her customer as she caught the girl's eyes on her chest. She was more used to getting that reaction from her male customers. "More tea?"

Tara nodded, "Please."

Claire glanced around at the slow coffee shop, "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"I haven't been in town for all that long."

"So what brings you to our humble town?"

Tara glanced at the girl hesitantly, "I'm studying at the martial arts school."

Claire's eyes slid over Tara's athletic body, "I guess I can see that."

Tara blinked, she was still a bit surprised at the changes in muscle tone and endurance several months of hell on earth training could do for you when you didn't need to fear permanently injuring yourself. She blushed slightly, "Thanks, it's not easy but you get used to it after a while."

Claire glanced behind her as an old windbag was blathering on about getting more coffee. "Ah duty calls." She winked at Tara even as she walked away.

Tara muttered to herself as she watched her walk away, "I think I'll have to come back often." Her thoughts continue unvoiced, 'Or at least as often as I can given the meager amount of money I'm getting from Duncan for keeping the training area clean. Still, I am being trained, I just wish Willow was here, or maybe Giles. Still you have bigger problems then that.' She sighed as she forced herself not to think about her fading magic.

She fished the change out of her pocket for the tea and left it by the empty cup. She smiled at Claire who was busy with another group of students that couldn't decide on what they wanted to order.

She glanced around the streets as she walked back toward the apartment. She sighed as she mentally checked her reserves of magic. One-maybe, two good spells and then she would be out. She sighed in frustration. She had, over the first few weeks, used a large amount of magic to try to find a way home, that is until it dawned on her that there wasn't any source of magic in this world and that she should conserve her remaining power. She found that it hurt not having it as a constant companion. Still she was determined to prove that she could live without it, that she wasn't addicted to it like Willow. Her thoughts shied away from the large gapping hole in her life that was Willow. She realized that she had been doing a lot of that lately. She resolved that if Willow hadn't found her these last few months then expecting a rescue was probably a fool's dream. "Maybe I need to start living my life. I was someone before I met Willow. I can still do something with my life, even without Willow or magic." Tara sighed and hoped that she wasn't lying to herself.


	5. Friends

Weeks later Tara smiled as she glanced over her shoulder at the coffee shop. Her hand tightly clutched a small scrap of napkin with Claire's number written on it. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she thought about the 'date' they had later. Of course Tara knew that it wasn't really a date, date but that didn't stop her from being excited about spending time with Claire outside of work. She knew it was just a walk in the park but it still had her feeling goose bumps.

Her smile turned into a frown as she glanced down at her watch and noticed that she was running late. She chuckled lightly as she broke into a jog. 'I never would have thought I would be running for anything other than a demon attack. I guess I'll have to thank Duncan for forcing me to take up jogging. On second thought, that might just encourage him more."

Amanda glanced over at Duncan. "So have you been enjoying your new student? Joe says she is rather cute."

He sputtered, "Amanda, behave it's not like that. I'm just trying to make sure she has a fighting chance in the game." His face twisted into an expression of anger. "I'm just worried that there is an immortal out there that is cheating at the game."

Amanda glanced over at Duncan's dark look, "You still haven't gotten over Adam's death have you? You think by training your new student, you can make up for what? Adam was one of the best survivors around, and despite being out of practice; he was still a better swordsman than both of us. As for immortals cheating, we both know it happens, but honestly sometimes shit happens. He could have just lost, it's been known to happen. You've lost friends before, but rarely do you take it this bad for this many months, spill."

Duncan sighed, "I'm just not sure what the point is anymore. If one of the oldest can be gone in the snap of an eye what chance does Tara have, hell what chance do any of us have."

Amanda shook her head in disgust, "Same chance you've had for four hundred years. There have been guns for a long time. There have been immortals that hired people to 'kill' the other immortal first. There is always the chance that we could be poisoned and while we are healing from that, someone could cut off our head. People have been cheating a very long time. You know this, get over it. Stop chasing after Akakios; he is out of your league. Honestly, Duncan he has had a couple of thousand years of practice more than you have. Besides I don't want to lose you as well."

His retort was cut off as they felt the presence of another immortal. He relaxed slightly as Tara's voice called out from the entryway. "I'm sorry I'm a bit late."

Amanda smiled as Tara walked into the living room. "Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Tara glanced at Duncan, "Should I be worried?"

He shrugged, "Only if you play any game of chance or bet against her."

Amanda smacked him upside the head, "Hey no ruining my fun."

Tara was pleased to notice a glimmer of a smile on his face for the first time since that fateful call. "In that case I'll take your advice. Though, perhaps you could tell me why Duncan is nervous about playing cards with you."

Amanda smiled even as Duncan groaned, "Take a seat it's a very interesting story."

Tara took a seat on the couch and listened to a great number of humorous and embarrassing stories about Amanda's life. If a few stories happened to embarrass the highlander out of his depression, so much the better thought Tara. She wondered how immortals dealt with hangovers as the bottles piled up in front of Amanda and Duncan as the night wore on.


	6. Unpleasent Truths

Duncan smiled as he watched Tara and Amanda chat. He had learned more about his student these last few hours than he had in the months of training. He grinned as he headed up to the loft to get more coffee.

Tara sighed as the conversation twisted back to a discussion of work. "I know I can't live off Duncan forever but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I used to help out at the Magic Box. Other than that, I'm not sure what I'm good at."

Amanda frowned, "What's wrong with starting a magic shop?"

Tara blinked a few times trying to get the sleepy feeling to retreat. "Other than the fact that there isn't magic here and that I have no money to start one? I mean it doesn't sound very honest selling magical trinkets to people when they don't work."

Amanda blinked, "What makes you think that magic doesn't work in this world?"

Tara breathed a long sigh, "I used to be able to use magic, but it's been fading since I got here."

Amanda frowned, "Well I've known a few witches over the years. Maybe the problem isn't the magic."

Tara stuttered slightly, "W-hat do you mean?"

"Have you thought about why you can't do magic. Maybe you don't want too?"

Tara shook her head, "I want my magic."

Amanda shrugged, "Really, even though it couldn't find Willow for you?"

Tara's eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock, "How…?"

"You don't get as old as I am without being able to read people very well. Plus Duncan mentioned that you tried to call your friends and couldn't find them via any normal methods. If I was looking for my friends I would use anything in my disposal to find them. So I'm guessing you hid from your magic after it failed you. But hey I could be wrong."

"I think I want to go to sleep now." Tara was blinking back tears as she hurriedly fled the room towards her bedroom.

Duncan sighed as he came back into the room with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Was that really needed?"

Amanda shrugged, "It's like a bandage, the only good way to get it off is to rip it off all at once. I have a feeling that part of her issues are mental. She took losing Willow really hard."

Duncan scowled, "Since when did you ever need a modern bandage?"

"Not really the point."

"I know, she never really talks about her."

"How often do you talk about Tess?"

Duncan's eyes narrowed, "Don't go there."

"Exactly, she lost something that meant a great deal to her. Shattered her world, I don't blame her that some of the pieces don't fit back the same way they used too."

Duncan frowned, "So what are we supposed to do?"

"I know a few people she might benefit from meeting."

"What's in it for you?"

Amanda smiled sweetly, "What, I can't do something out of the kindness of my heart?"

Duncan laughed, "Anything is possible, but well no."

Amanda sighed, "Let's just say I've grown tired of the game Mac. If I had magic like her, well let's just say that no jewel or prize would be safe."

"What does you having magic have to do with anything? And I'm sure every jewelry store in the world is glad you don't have magic even though they don't know they should be."

"What would happen if she loses her head? Does the magic go with her quickening? Do you have any idea how many of us would kill for an edge Mac?"

Duncan's face clouded, "Enough."

"Exactly, maybe her magic doesn't transfer, maybe it does. But honestly that's not a chance I'm willing to take."

Duncan glared at her, "So what are you suggesting we do, kill her?"

"Don't be an idiot, I wouldn't want the army of immortals coming for me. But we need to make sure she understands that immortals have watchers, that she can't leave evidence of magic around for anyone to find. If word got out that she has magic that could hold an immortal still while she cut his or her head off, what do you think would happen?"

Duncan sighed, "They would come for her in waves."

Amanda nodded, "And right now she isn't a good enough swords girl to save herself. She could start the final curtain call Mac. As immortals via for the chance to claim that prize. Even some that have no interest in the mythical Prize at the end might come out of hiding to claim magic as a prize. It would cause the game to burst into frenzy it might even start the gathering. That's not something I want to happen. I'm old Mac, not as old as some but I don't want other immortals to start wondering what tricks we have."

"What do you suggest?"

"Well I would say run really fast, but I think that point is long over. I'll put her in touch with some friends. Maybe start a business and make some money so that she has the resources to run if she has to." She looked down at her watch, "Maybe after some sleep." She smiled as she headed for Mac's bedroom before Mac could get there.

Mac sighed before slumping on the couch. 'Even if the world was ending Amanda would find a way to make a profit.'


	7. A dark soul

Wolrick Howard was grinning as he watched his latest mark enter the movie theater with a cute brunette on her arm. He smirked as his mark shivered and looked around when she sensed his presence. He ducked behind a building before she could catch sight of him.

Truth be told he enjoyed toying with the young immortals he hunted. Some would say that he himself was young, but he had been hunting for twenty years now and thought himself rather good at it. Some said that he had gone wrong because of being bounced between foster homes as a child. When he even gave it a thought, he liked to think that he had just been born broken.

He grinned even as he worked out how to get this immortal's head without a fight. He grinned, honor and human kindness were a failing. He would simply do what he had done numerous times before kidnap the immortal's friends and torture them a bit with the promise to release them if the immortal tossed down their sword. He was amazed at the number of times that at least got an immortal to come out of hiding. He smirked as the tingling sensation in the back of his head faded as this quarry left range of his senses.

Claire frowned as she noted Tara stiffen for like the tenth time that day. "Is something wrong?" She had been on a number of outings the past year with Tara but this was the first time that they were calling it a date. She was starting to wonder if it had been a mistake.

Tara sighed, "I just have this feeling like I'm being watched. It's creeping me out."

Claire chuckled as she slid an arm around her, "Don't worry, I'll protect you from the bogeyman. You've been reading your shop's magic books too seriously again." Once she had gotten to know Tara she had come to love that Tara was a very spiritual person but she didn't believe that magic was quite as real as Tara liked to believe but she couldn't object when the shop made such a tidy profit.

Tara forced herself to grin, she knew that Claire didn't believe in magic. "I know but there are some fascinating things in there. And while I know you would love to hear all about them, we should get to the movie before we can't find any seats. Let's stop worrying about the bogeyman and just watch the movie then have some dinner."

Claire was smiling later that night as she was walking home from the restaurant. Her thoughts were happily dancing around in her head, 'She asked me out, she finally asked me out.' The bogeyman was the last thing from her thoughts as she almost danced home. She barely heard a muffled foot step behind her when a rag was stuffed into her face. The last thing she thought about before the darkness claimed her was that maybe Tara had been right.

Wolrick glanced down at the unconscious girl, "Now let's see a souvenir to send to the young immortal." He whistled happily as he pulled out a large belt knife and went to work.


	8. A pissed witch

Tara blinked sleep from her eyes as she stumbled out of her bed and grabbed her bathrobe. She spared a blurry-eyed glance at the alarm clock as she slipped her robe on. She mumbled something that vaguely sounded like three thirteen a.m. She frowned as she wondered who would be ringing the shop's doorbell at such a late hour. She was still mentally checking off people as she climbed down the loft stairs to walk over to the door and peek through the peephole in the door to check to see who was outside. After seeing no one through the peephole, she carefully opened the door to reveal an old cardboard box sitting in front of the door. She glanced around the empty streets. She prodded the box with her foot briefly before reaching down and bringing it inside.

She set the box on the counter. She gasped when she opened the box to find the cut up remains of a very familiar dress. Her face drained of blood as she noticed drops of blood on some of the cut up pieces of cloth. Her eyes blinked back tears as she hesitantly pulled a handwritten note out of the pieces of shredded clothing.

"Dear, new immortal," She read the first part again to be sure she was not imagining it. "I would hate for you to skip out on my lovely challenge or tell your mentor, so I figured I would have a nice chat with your friend. She is quite the cutie, if you want her back in one-piece come to the abandoned church on the edge of town. I'm sure you know the one."

Tara's blood ran cold when she read the last part of the letter, "P.s. I hate waiting and I like cutting things and as I've ran out of clothes to cut off of her I'll just have to do something different if you aren't here in an hour. I think I'll start with her juicy fingers maybe after I finish all of those I'll start on her toes, through there are always her teeth to break and eyes to remove or nose to slice off. Oh, and ears are tasty, after that I'll just have to get creative."

Tara frantically climbed the stairs and tossed on some clothes before grabbing her sword off the shelf. She frantically headed for the church on the edge of town.

Tara was out of breath by the time she arrived at the church and felt the presence of another immortal. Her breaths were coming in rapid gasps as she slammed open the church door.

She noticed a large man, standing a few feet from an alter; raise his index finger to his lips in the symbol to be quiet. In a mocking voice, he admonished Tara, "You should not slam the door to this sacred place for it is a house of god."

Tara's eyes wrenched past the man in a mockery of bloody priest robes to Claire's naked body that was spread-eagled and nailed to a large wooden cross. The large spikes stood out vulgarly from where her hands and feet where pinned to the wood. Tara's eyes involuntarily traced the blood dripping from her wounds to where it pooled on the marble floor. Some small part of her brain noticed that Claire had her mouth taped shut with duct tape.

He smirked, "Yes, she made quite a mess of this place. I think she deserves to be punished, but first I think she should watch as I take your head."

Tara's startled voice broke out, "But you can't fight here it's holy ground."

His laugh drowned out Claire's quiet sobbing. "Who said anything about fighting?" He raised his sword and traced a line down her chest between her breasts. Tara watched in horror as a faint line of blood welled up. "I think you will just toss your sword down to save your girl any more pain."

Tara shook her head slightly, "You would just kill her anyways."

He nodded, "No faith, but I guess you have a point."

He smiled as he pulled a handgun from behind the alter, "I have a better way."

Tara crumpled as the two quick shots into her stomach dropped her to her knees. She was only dimly aware of her sword clattering to the ground as she lost her grip. She blinked up at the man in shock "Holy ground?"

He grinned as he raised his sword, "I don't believe that drivel about holy ground. After I kill you, I'm going to ravage your girl and leave her broken body in the street for strangers to laugh at." He had a brief moment to wonder what had gone wrong with his plan when he found himself tossed off his feet by a bolt of white lightening. He felt several bones break as he slammed against the wall.

Tara pulled herself to her knees with one hand, her other hand still dripping sparks. "I should thank you for making me realize something. This world has plenty of magic I was just naïve for not understanding that it was I that was running away. Scared little Tara was too afraid of becoming something else."

He weakly tried to raise the gun still clutched in his hand.

With a wave of her hand, she melted the gun, the molten metal immediately making a wreck of his hand, in addition to causing him a great deal of additional pain.

"I had been dreading fighting another immortal. I was so worried that it would be like killing a human. It's not you know, we're more like demons. Some of us are good and some of us are not. The game is just something we have to live with. I'm not a head hunter, I don't like the idea, but for you I'll make an exception."

The man blinked incoherently still out of it from the lightening.

Tara gestured with one hand at the man on the ground, his arms plastered themselves to his side as he rose up into the air. "There can only be one, and it isn't going to be you."

With a gesture, her sword skittered along the ground before leaping into her outstretched hand. Tara's face softened briefly as she glanced at Claire to whisper a shield spell. She glanced back at the man she didn't even know that had caused her such pain. "My friends would make a quip now, but you aren't worth it."

The guy barely got the words, "Holy ground out before Tara's sword sliced his head from his body."

Tara watched the body slump to the floor as she released the magic holding him up. She heard the thunder start even as the lightening started flowing from the man's corpse. She had time for one last thanks to the goddess that she had tossed up the shield over Claire before she knew only pain.


	9. Old friends return

Buffy's smile lost a great deal of its sparkle as she stepped out of the portal and into what looked to be the remains of a building. Her eyes flickered over the melted stone that made up the smoking walls of the structure. It looked as if whole sections of the walls had been blasted apart. What once had might have been priceless stained glass windows were now nothing but wrecks of fused class. The tapestries were smoldering from where holes were burned in them. Her eyes wrenched themselves to the only undamaged section of the church. She took in the sight of a naked girl nailed spread eagled to a cross for a fraction of a second before rushing over to help her out.

Adam stumbled for a second as he felt the buzz of an immortal as he stepped out the glowing green portal before it sealed itself shut. He glanced around and quickly dismissed the girl on the cross as the one causing the tingling. His practiced eyes placed the destruction as the result of a powerful quickening. The buzz faded as he noticed a body partially crushed by a fallen beam. He glanced at the girl on the cross wearily as memories drifted up from the dark recesses of his mind. He had done similar things to his enemies once upon a time. However, with his days as a horseman done he had hoped to never see such sights again.

Buffy's eyes widened almost comically as the wounds on the girl's hands and feet closed of their own accord as she pulled the stakes out. Buffy winced in sympathy as the girl ripped the tape from her mouth. She turned her head in embarrassment as the girl spit out the blood soaked panties that had been stuffed in her mouth.

The girl coughed out a good deal of nasty looking spit before gesturing at a broken beam that had fallen. "Please, help Tara."

Buffy glanced back to where the girl was looking to see Adam struggling with a support beam. He was trying unsuccessfully to free a girl trapped under the fallen beam. She grunted as she walked over and lifted the beam off the girl. It was only Adam's quick thinking and quick reflexes that allowed him to pull the unconscious immortal from under the beam before Buffy dropped the beam back on her in shock. The girl looked exactly like Willow's Tara…

Tara blinked groggily as she came to. She noticed that she was in an unfamiliar apartment sprawled out on a couch. She blinked as she noticed Buffy sitting in a chair across from her. "Buffy?"

Buffy's facial features warred between her indescribable desire to believe that the girl lying on the couch really was her Tara and her knowledge that it couldn't possibly be Tara. In the end, Buffy settled on asking, "How's it going?"

"I feel like I got hit by a truck." Tara tensed as she noticed the buzz of another immortal. "Where am I? And where is my sword."

Adam stuck his head around the corner from the kitchen carrying a piece of pizza. "My apartment actually, I would have left you but the sirens were getting closer and Buffy here thought you looked like a friend of hers, though I don't really know how that could be. As for your sword, it's on the kitchen table. It's quite a nice sword."

Tara pulled herself up as she glanced at Adam, "You're, you're supposed to be dead."

Adam chuckled, "Well same could be said for yourself."

Tara shook her head as the color drained from her face. "Where is Claire?"

Buffy gestured toward the hall, "Resting."

Tara's face took on a hopeful look, "What about the others?"

Buffy shrugged, "Others?"

"Willow, Xander, Anya, Giles?"

Buffy nodded, "Well that's sort of a long story."

Tara nodded to Buffy then focused on Adam. "Joe said you died, died."

Adam's eyebrows rose, "Why the hell would he say that?"

"You never came back after the last fight, and Joe's people found your trench coat and wallet."

Adam sighed, "I had tossed my trench coat off to have more flexibility, had meant to pick it up after the fight." He frowned as he drifted off in thought chasing memories that for him were more than two hundred years old, "Anyways a portal opened shortly after I had finished the fight so I didn't get the chance to collect my stuff. I bet that bastard swiped my card to pay my bar tab."

Tara blinked, "You, you get back into town after being sent to another world and presumed dead and you are worried that your bar tab might have been paid?"

"You would be too if you knew how much was on the tab. But anyways how do you know Joe?" He took a bite of his pizza.

Tara sighed, "It's sort of a long story."

Buffy shrugged, "There wasn't any food in the fridge that wasn't rotten so we ordered pizza so we should be good for a while."

"Last thing I remember before waking up in this world was being shot. Oh goddess is Willow alright?"

Buffy nodded, "She is fine though that is a story for later I think."

Tara wondered about the odd look on Buffy's face. "Well I woke up in a guy named Duncan MacCloud's dojo. It was an odd experience learning that I was an immortal. I'm assuming that you know what that is?"

Buffy glanced at Adam before she nodded, "Yeah, can't die unless someone cuts off your head."

Tara nodded, "It took me a while to come to terms with that. That I wasn't human any more. Anyways Duncan sort of took me in and showed me the ropes."

Adam shook his head ruefully, "I thought I recognized the sword. He was always taking in strays. I think we should pay him a visit in the morning."

Buffy sighed, "You sure just showing up at his place is a good idea? He thinks your dead."

Adam grinned, "It will be more fun this way."

Tara glanced between Buffy and this Adam person, "Not that I'm not happy to see you but where is the rest of the group?"

Buffy sighed, "They are back in our original dimension. Adam wanted to get home and I wanted a vacation."

"But you're the slayer…"

Buffy grinned, "There are hundreds of slayers, so I thought I deserved a vacation."

"How?"

"Willow did some pretty impressive magic a couple of years ago."

Tara's eyes opened wider as her mind worked out the details of how much power a spell such as that would take. "Wow."

"Yeah that's our Willow…" Buffy sighed, "Look there is something you should probably know…"

Tara blinked, "A few years ago?"

"Yeah you've been gone a while…"

"She moved on didn't she?"

Buffy nodded, "It wasn't easy and it took a long time."

"Just as long as she is happy. Do, do I know them?"

Buffy chuckled, "My sister."

Tara blinked, "Dawn?"

Buffy chuckled at the look on Tara's face. "Yeah that one."

"That would explain a few things."

Buffy frowned, "Like?"

"Why some of our toys were always in the wrong place…"

Buffy's face scrunched up in disgust as she went beat red, "So didn't want to hear that."

Tara chuckled, "As Willow would say, serves you right buster."

Adam grinned, "So who is the girl?"

Tara blushed, "Her name is Claire. She is sort of a friend. We went on our first," she sighed, "and maybe last official date tonight."

Buffy nodded, "She did seem concerned for you when we were hauling you ladies out of the burned out wreck of a church."

Adam frowned, "I would have thought Mac would have stressed the no fighting on holy ground rule a bit more."

Tara yawned, "Oh he did, it was either kill him or lose my head."

Buffy shrugged, "Killing him was much better. You should probably get some sleep."

Tara nodded, "Is there someplace I can crash?"

Adam shrugged, "Second door on your right is where Claire is."

Tara nodded her thanks even as she left.

Adam glanced wearily at Buffy after Tara had left, "You think she is telling the truth?"

Buffy shrugged, "I've heard stranger things. We should probably get in touch with Mac and see how things play out."

"Not going to call in the troops on this one?"

"I don't want people's hopes crashed in case this isn't what it looks like. I also don't really want to explain to Tara what happened to Willow after her death."

"You don't want to hurt Dawn and Hermione either do you?"

"Do you? This could be, probably is Tara her Tara…"

Buffy sighed, "She was her world, her everything. What am I going to do?"

Adam shrugged, "I guess just wait it out."

"Some help you are."


	10. Ends and Beginnings

Duncan frowned as he felt the buzz of two immortals coming up the lift. He sprinted for the table where his sword rested. His mouth opened in shock as he noted the three people in the lift. His student showing up wasn't much of a shock nor was the short blond-haired girl that was leaning against the side of the lift with a smile on her face as he had no idea who she was and she didn't feel like an immortal. The other man standing there in a trench coat with a wide grin on his face was a different matter. "You're supposed to be dead."

Adam smirked at the shocked look on Duncan's face. "Reports of my death were apparently greatly exaggerated."

Duncan shook his head, "I should have known better. So who is your friend?"

Adam smiled and nodded toward Tara, "This nice lady says you already know her, and this is Buffy."

Buffy smiled, "I've heard so much about you."

Duncan sighed, "Why do I think this can't be good?"

"Because, you know me? If you have an extra beer or three I'll trade you some stories."

He chuckled as he walked to the fridge to get the beer, "You know Joe ran your card to pay your bar tab."

Adam scowled, "Bastard."

Duncan opened the fridge to grab the beer, "Can I get your ladies anything?"

Buffy took a seat on the couch, "Maybe a soda or something, beer and I don't get along."

Duncan came back with two beers and two sodas. His eyebrows rose as he noticed how close Adam was sitting next to Buffy. He tossed the beer over to Adam. "So where did you two meet?"

Buffy shrugged, "Italy a couple of years ago."

Duncan frowned, "I didn't know you were in Italy a few years ago, besides weren't you with…"

Adam nodded, "Maybe, I should start at the beginning."

Duncan rolled his eyes, "How about just from that last…"

"Fight? Yeah she knows about me being immortal. That's where I was going to start. Anyways this immortal challenged me for some perceived wrong doing from my past."

Duncan just sort of glared at Adam, "How long ago?"

"It might have been a while, anyway he was for some reason afraid that I would sneak off if given the chance so he attacked me on holy ground."

Duncan winced, "You probably would have. That must have been some disagreement to get him to attack you on holy ground."

Buffy raised her eyebrows as she glanced at Adam, "Did you cause some trouble in your youth?"

Duncan barely stopped himself from spraying the room with beer, "He didn't tell you much about his past did he."

Adam shook his head sharply as he glared at him, "Well, I might have stolen a girl or two from him. It was a very long time ago, and I have trouble remembering."

Buffy chuckled, "Yeah sure and the tooth fairy is real."

Adam grimaced as he took a pull on his beer, "Anyways we fought, I won. Sadly the warnings about fighting on holy ground are true. A rift to an alternate dimension was ripped open and I fell through, without my damn coat I might add. You don't really seem as surprised as I would think Mac."

Duncan shrugged, "It's been a strange couple of months since you vanished."

"Anyways I spent some time in Buffy's world and as luck would have it she knew some people that could sent me back to my world. She decided that she wanted a vacation so she tagged along."

He nodded, "Alright while that story sounds crazy, considering what we are… I'll let it go for now. But why was Tara with you when you walked in?"

Tara smiled, "Because I know Buffy at least I'm fairly sure she is the Buffy I know. It's hard to know for sure with alternate dimensions as such things."

Duncan took another long drink of his beer. "I should have grabbed something stronger."

Adam nodded, "Probably, anyways little miss Tara here fought a battle on that same holy ground right as our friend was making with the portal magic. I'm not an expert on magic but I'm assuming that fighting on holy ground destabilizes the barriers of reality some how. Or maybe it was just a weak point being that it was where Adam left from."

Duncan glanced at Tara, "You took a head."

Tara nodded quietly, "I didn't have much choice, it was either that or let him kill me."

Duncan shook his head, "No you did the right thing. Though, I think this is going to take a while to sort out."

And so it did, take a while to sort out at least, but as such things go life returned to relative normalcy before too long. The magic shop continued it's quiet existence though with slightly less friction now that Claire knew magic was real. Duncan continued to be plagued by stupid immortals looking for his head. Adam traveled around the world showing Buffy the sights. It was ten years before it was finally voiced by Duncan on one of her visits that Buffy hadn't aged a day since they had met. The only thing they could chalk it up to was that too much demonic energy stuffed into a slayer via the slayer creation spell tended to change the nature of said slayer. While it wasn't heaven it was with the occasional bout of ice-cream binging enough of a life to not regret being pulled out of heaven.

As for Tara and Claire they spend many nights over a quiet fire chatting and will probably do so for many years to come as the years seem to touch Claire as little as they do Buffy.

Authors notes

I want to thank everyone that stuck with me until the end of this story. I had thought it might last a bit longer but I realized in writing this last chapter that I didn't have anything else to say. I could have explained a number of things differently but I think I'll leave it up to the minds of the readers to fill in the rest. I will however point out that I did steal/borrow an alternate version of a character from Heroes. Thanks again, I hope finishing this will free my muse to work on other projects, that at least is the hope.


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